The Elemental Trilogy Box Set

by Toni Cox

“Indeed,” Silas concurred. “Blaid possesses this same magic and I believe only together will they learn how to use it or, at the very least, keep in check. Letting Maia go was a hard decision, but I trust her instincts and everything around her keeps drawing her back to Blaid, and I don’t think it is only because of their sexual attraction.”

  With a clang of metal, Jaik knocked over his goblet and its contents spilled out over the table, causing Malyn to rush to save the papers spread out upon it.

  “What are you saying, Silas?” Jaik said, his voice harsh.

  “I am saying that Maia and Blaid have been together on more occasions than the war,” the old Elf replied. Jaik glowered at him, but Silas did not falter in his speech. “The first time they broke our code of courtship was after the battle of the first war. At first I thought Death had taken advantage of her and I was outraged. As time went by I came to understand that the attraction was mutual and, although I did not approve of it, I looked deeper into the matter. I found writings on a Life and a Death Elemental being together and it did not bode well. Everything pointed to their complete destruction if they continued on the path they were on and I tried to warn Maia of the dangers. When your mother joined me in my research, I told her about their relationship and what it could mean. Your mother was as understanding as only she could be and, with her female intuition, led us to other interesting discoveries.”

  “Are you saying Maia and Blaid have been together on a number on occasions?” Jaik asked, not easily distracted.

  “They have, Jaik,” Silas said in the same, calm voice. “As you know, opposite Elementals cannot be together for long before something negative happens. In Minor Elementals, this mostly manifests in small marital disputes, but in Primes it will result in serious consequences. About eight thousand years ago, a Life Elemental and a Death Elemental destroyed their entire nation, which is one of the reasons why we shun these two Elemental being together. But, if you dig deeper into our histories, you will find that if the old magic is present, coalitions between Primes can have other outcomes. These incidents are extremely rare, but, having studied the presence of old magic within Maia, I, and your mother, believe Maia and Blaid might be one of those rare examples of how the old magic can bring Primes together.”

  “So you are not sure then?”

  “No, Jaik, we are not sure of anything, except that your sister has extraordinary power that could prove fatal to her unless she finds a way to harness it. You were right when you said that Maia may be the key to our problems, but, and this we discovered recently, she may also be the reason for all our problems.”

  This time, Jaik was distracted by Silas’ words. He was not only upset about the fact that Maia had flaunted their custom of celibacy before marriage, but also that the act had been with a Death Elemental. Yet, the fact that Silas thought Maia could be the root of their problems startled him and he put the other matter to the back of his mind.

  “What are you saying, Silas? How could any of this be Maia’s fault?”

  “This is a little more complicated to explain,” his adviser began again. “We believe, with first Blaid’s and then Maia’s birth, the old magic was reawakened. It has been dormant so long not even I recognised it. Then, the Vampyres scattered the stones of Greystone when they used old magic to widen the channel to bring their army through during the last war. Vampyres have never been magic users, although magic does exist in their world. We knew they enlisted the help of Air Elementals to disguise their arrivals and departures through the Gate, which led us to believe the Vampyres had no magic users themselves.”

  “Do they not need magic to travel through the Gate?”

  “They do, Jaik, but it is different magic and, if taught how to, almost every sentient race can do it. Even Humans without magic could be taught, though it would take a lot of practice.”

  “So, Aaron could go back home.”

  “I believe so, but we have not discussed it with them yet. We digress, however. The point I was trying to make was that the Vampyres have somehow become aware of the presence of the old magic and managed to use it. Only old magic could have destroyed the Gate like that. If the Vampyres had not tried to kill Maia, I could easily believe they want to capture her to force her to use the magic for them. But, it seems they do not need her, they are capable of wielding the magic or they have someone who can. Maia and Blaid are the greatest threat to their plan, which is why they are trying so hard to find and kill them. Even Maia does not know the kind of danger she has been in. Her leaving Shadow Hall was not only the safest option for her, but the rest of us as well.”

  “Where does that leave us? What options do we have now?” Jaik asked, concern now colouring his voice, his rage forgotten. “She is gone and I don’t think we will find her. Surely, she needs to be told? What if the Vampyres attack again before she returns?”

  Silas and Malyn exchanged a worried look, but Silas replied in a steady voice.

  “We need to trust her now, Jaik. She is in grave danger not only from the Vampyres, but also from the power she holds inside. If she does not find Blaid, if she does not discover the old magic within her and learn how to wield it, and if she does not come back to us in time, I am afraid we might all be doomed. No matter how many nations your father brings together and how many armies will stand by our side next time the Vampyres come through, it will still not be enough. For every Elf on Elveron there are a thousand Vampyres on Naylera. I believe the reason we have not had a larger army come through the Gate yet is that King Drakul awaits the arrival of armies from all across Naylera. The last two wars were to weaken us, scare us, and to gather information about our planet that they need.”

  “Wait,” Jaik said, confused. “King Drakul? I have never heard mention of him, not even when we questioned the traitors. How do you know about him and his plans?”

  “It has taken me a while, but I pieced it together from the bits we gathered. The Generals are all of noble birth, which is why they look different. I once did an autopsy and discovered dissimilarities between a common warrior and a General - they could almost be two different species. This led me to research into Vampyre history and, combined with the information we got from the traitors and what we learned during the two wars, I discovered that Naylera has always had a single ruler. It is the most ancient line of Dracula and only his descendants may rule. The current King Drakul has reigned for the past two thousand years and is one of the most bloodthirsty rulers Naylera has ever seen.”

  Jaik leaned back in his chair and stared at his adviser and his mother. The two sat opposite, staring back at him with worried eyes. He had to remind himself that he had asked them to the meeting and he had been the one who suggested Maia might be the solution to their problem.

  Now, however, if everything Silas said was true, their fate rested on his sister learning to wield a magic she did not know she had, on a Human with no tracking or fighting skills finding her before the Vampyres attacked again, and on a Death Elemental agreeing to help her.

  The room shrunk around him as the enormity of it sunk in. His father’s efforts to unite the alliance was futile, his own efforts to protect Shadow Hall would amount to naught, and all of Elveron was doomed to be ruled by Vampyres unless his sister found the magic within her.

  “The pull was strong; I could not resist it,” Blaid told her as they walked side by side along the rocky mountain path. “After Master Margoth died, I felt adrift, unsure of what to do with my life. Then, I felt it for the first time; a longing so deep it could not be denied. I grew restless and …” he hesitated “… I may have done some things to upset my family. That’s when I decided to leave and follow this urge that had such a strong hold on me.”

  “So, that means you have been away from home for five years.”

  “Yes. I left the year before you went to Earth. Without a plan or knowing where I was heading, it took me a year to follow the feeling within me to Grildor. By the time I reached your land, you were ready to leave for Ea
rth and, once you went through the Gate, the pull faded completely and instantly. At the time, I was not aware of what was driving me and why it had suddenly stopped. I spent two years travelling the Grildor-Bron Mountains and the Yllitar Plains, learning everything I could about them and the people living there. Once I found out that Shadow Hall had a Life Elemental, I concentrated my research around your home city, which is why I am now able to travel in and around your city without being discovered.”

  Maia stared at him. “One of the reasons why Silas decided to send me to Earth for my final test at that point was that I was getting restless. I felt like there was something missing from my life. I felt empty and incomplete. Silas had already taught me everything I needed to know for my ceremony and the final test was all that stood in the way of me being recognised as Shadow Hall’s Life Elemental. Feeling restless, I agreed to go, choosing Earth. I thought the challenge of life on Earth would quell the empty feeling within me.”

  “Did it?”

  “It took me a long time to remember what happened on Earth. The memories only came flooding back recently.”

  “You did not remember until now?” He looked at her, aghast.

  “Not for a long time. Silas said probably because of the energy I used to bring the Humans. It did something that put me in a coma and gave me temporary amnesia. Over time, some memories came back, but nothing of significance. Then, a few Quarters back, something happened to Jasmine that triggered something in my brain and the memories came rushing back all at once. I remember going to Earth, lost at first, searching for something. When I met Aaron, it calmed my restlessness and I decided to stay with him. We lived a good life until I became ill. Once the illness started, I began to remember Elveron and why I was on Earth, preparing me for my journey back. Now that we are talking about it, the restlessness I felt before I left Elveron and while I was on Earth, was gone when I came back. Do you think that was because you were near?”

  “I remembered everything from the moment I returned from my final test. But, to answer your question, yes, I believe so. From the moment you stepped through the Gate, I felt your presence, although at that time I did not know it was you, or even a person. For two years I roamed Grildor searching for that feeling. Then, when you came back, the feeling came crashing back, only it was different. No longer did I feel empty and half of me was missing. This time, I knew what I was looking for was within my reach. The longing drew me across the plains, for I was in Dragonfort at the time, and eventually brought me to Shadow Hall. The first time I laid eyes on you was when you went swimming at the lake. I knew from that moment that I had found what I had been looking for, for three years.”

  “I remember that day,” Maia exclaimed. “I felt like we were being watched and I stood on the rock, looking across the lake. I thought I saw a wolf at the forest’s edge. It gave me shivers, but I could not dwell on it as I was pushed into the water.”

  Blaid chuckled. “Yes, I saw, and I thought you were the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.” He reached out and took her hand, holding it as they walked. “I saw you in my dreams so many times after that. I longed to talk to you, but you were always well protected. And, once your dragon came back, I stood little chance of getting close. When you went to visit Braérn, I decided to take a risk and it almost cost me my life. Had it not been for the spikiness of that little forest, Midnight would have eaten me for sure.”

  Midnight’s growl reverberated in their minds, letting them know he was listening in on the conversation from afar. Maia laughed, remembering that day, too.

  “I was terrified of you,” she said, thinking how she had longed for him despite the fear. “I thought Death had come for me, or that it must be an omen about something terrible to happen. When the reality of the Vampyres set in, I was almost convinced you were there to warn me about them and my impending death.”

  “Almost convinced?” he asked.

  Blaid had to let go of her hand as the path split around a boulder. Lilith followed Blaid down the right side of the path and, for a moment, a terrible loneliness settled over Maia. Once the paths merged again, it was Maia who reached out to hold his hand again.

  “I think, in the back of my mind, I always knew we were supposed to be together, but everything I had been taught prevented me from believing it. After the war, I blamed myself for all the deaths, as I thought, and still think, had I listened to my dreams and gone to you sooner, we might have prevented the war and the deaths it caused.”

  Blaid stopped and gently tugged on her arm to turn her towards him. Lilith stopped behind him, snorting contentedly. Sun streamed through the tall trees, dappling them in sunlight.

  “I, too, was plagued by guilt for many Moons after the war, which is why I hunted Vampyres and Werewolves. Having experienced the power we have when together, I felt that the death and destruction caused by the Vampyres could have been lessened, if not avoided completely. Maia, I firmly believe, together nothing can stop us, but I do not know how to bring forth this power. It only manifests when our people are in grave danger and, by then, so many have died. I wish I knew how to unlock it, so we can use it to prevent the war, rather than win the battle.”

  She nodded.

  “We will figure it out. I have thought about it since the first war and I it lies within us to save our people. For now, we will fetch the army of Elbendal, but once we learn to control the power within us, we will no longer need armies to fight our battles.”

  Maia noticed how he said our people, even when he was referring to the people of Grildor. She got lost in the depth of his violet eyes for a moment, struggling to control her feelings for him. This was why she came to find him. Only with Blaid could she be strong enough to save their people. Only together could they unlock this mysterious power that manifested during battle. This was what she had hoped for, for Blaid to feel the same and to agree to help her save who she thought of as her people, but which he now referred to as their people.

  She had had her doubts; they had always been there. Everything she knew was at Shadow Hall. Everything she had learned led to her standing by her people as their Life Elemental. Abandoning them during times of war to search for something that was so vague in her mind she could not even explain it to Silas, was the last thing a proper Life Elemental should do.

  Yet, Silas told her to follow her instincts. He had actively encouraged her to go and she now suspected he knew more about the situation, and her feelings, than she thought he did. In her mind, she ran through their conversations and realised that everything he said over the past few Moons had led to him telling her to go. He had been coaching her, training her to think differently. She had not noticed it then, but she saw the change in Silas now. Something happened, recently, which changed the way Silas saw Blaid. Maia wondered what it was.

  “I am glad I found you. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t.” Maia’s eyes narrowed as another thought occurred to her. “What if Belura had not been able to save your life? How could you have challenged a Riven, knowing I still needed you?”

  Blaid stepped closer and looked down into her eyes. Her heart beat faster as she felt his breath on her forehead and her anger evaporated.

  “It was a mistake. I was not thinking clearly. My heart felt like it had been torn from my chest and all I wanted was for the pain to go away. I felt the fear the Riven instilled when I went to rescue the prisoners from the Vampyre camp, so I went looking for it. Fear would surely be better than heartbreak and anger. I, however, sorely underestimated the power of the Riven and stood no chance against him. I am now glad Belura taught us some of his fighting styles and Earth magic.”

  “I understand,” Maia whispered. “My heart did not cope with the separation well. You know what I thought you had said, and I lived with that knowledge for too long. It almost got the best of me. I think it was once you recovered somewhat that I started feeling you again, which gave me hope and I started thinking about finding you. It wasn’t until Belura us
ed the forest to call me, though, that I put that plan into action.”

  Blaid laughed, deep and full, a wonderful sound in Maia’s ears.

  “That was another mistake on my part,” Blaid said when he stopped laughing. “I just wanted some meat. Nothing else. Hunting as the wolf seemed like a good idea, but the shifting took a lot of my energy and I could only hunt a forest mouse. It wasn’t enough to give me the strength to turn back, so I stayed the wolf, but had not further energy to hunt. Belura tried to feed me all kinds of plant matter, but it didn’t help.”

  “Maybe it is time you stop making mistakes,” Maia jested.

  Blaid stepped even closer. “No more mistakes. We are together now and together we can conquer all. You are what I have been searching for all my life. You bring meaning to my life. I don’t ever want to let you go.”

  His hot breath on her lips ignited a burning desire for him inside her and, when he finally kissed her, she closed her eyes, giving in to his embrace and his lips on hers. Maia savoured his taste and pulled him even closer. His hand slid under her jacket and hugged the small of her back. How she had hungered for this.

  Sun setting shortly. Time to make camp.

  Blushing, Maia stepped away from Blaid, but he did not let go of her hands.

  “Midnight is quite the chaperon,” Blaid said with a twinkle in his eyes. “Even if you decided not to stay celibate during this journey, I don’t think Midnight will give us the chance.”

  The dragon’s roar sounded in their minds and then the wind carried the sound to their ears.

  “It is as it should be,” Maia said, then let go of Blaid’s hands and turned to carry on walking. “Besides, Midnight is right. The sun is getting low and we should find a place to camp.”

  Blaid fell into step beside her, Lilith following on her own. “The terrain is becoming rockier the further west we move. We will need to turn towards the south as soon as we can. I have never travelled this way and do not know what lies beyond the mountain range.” Blaid studied their surroundings while they walked and eventually stopped, pointing to an overhand to their left. “This will do for the night. At least we will have shelter if it rains again.”